Mukuṭatāḍitaka
Mukuṭatāḍitaka
The Mukuṭatāḍitaka [MT] is a lost play by Bāṇabhatta, on the theme of the duel between Duryodhana and Bhīma. Verses from the MT are found cited in Caṇḍapāla’s commentary on the Nalacampū [ca. 950 CE] and Bhoja’s magnum opus Śṛṅgāraprakāśa [ca. 1100 CE]. The play may have inspired Bhaṭṭanārāyaṇa’s play Veṇisaṁhāra, Rājaśekhara’s play Bālabhārata and Ranna’s Kannada kāvya Sāhasabhīmavijayam [c. 1000 CE].
Here are the available verses from the MT -
dhvastāḥ kṣudrāḥ dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ samastāḥ pītaṃ raktaṃ svādu duḥśāsanasya |
pūrṇā kṛṣṇākeśabandhapratijñā tiṣṭhatyekaḥ kauravasyorubhaṅgaḥ ||
ūrū nipīḍya gadayā yadi nāsya tasya pādena ratnamukuṭaṃ śakalīkaromi |
dehaṃ nipītanijadhūmavijṛmbhamāṇajvālājaṭālavapuṣi jvalane juhomi ||
āśā proṣitadiggajā iva guhāḥ pradhvastasiṃhā iva
droṇyaḥ kṛttamahādrumā iva bhuvaḥ protkhātaśailā iva |
bibhrāṇāḥ kṣayakālariktasakalatrailokyakaṣṭāṃ daśāṃ
jātāḥ kṣīṇamahārathāḥ kurupater devasya śūnyāḥ sabhāḥ ||